Number of diabetics in world to double by 2035

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Over 592 million people are expected to suffer from diabetes by 2035, which is very high, said former Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan. Company photo

The total number of diabetics is expected to increase to 592 million from 382 million unless the required measures are taken to tackle the disease, according to medical professionals during the International Diabetes Leadership Forum in Istanbul. 

The forum was held Nov. 15-16 in Istanbul with the attendance of over 350 medical professionals, politicians and non-governmental organization representatives, including the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. 

“Over 592 million people are expected to suffer from diabetes by 2035, which is very high,” Annan said during his speech. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also made a speech via satellite connection. 

“Non-infectious diseases, like diabetes, are dramatically increasing across the world, but 80 percent of diabetes cases can be prevented,” Clinton said. 

5.2 million diabetics in Turkey

According to the Diabetes Atlas 2013, which was recently published by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), healthcare expenditure for diabetes is estimated to increase to $627.3 billion by 2035. The data also show that 8.4 percent of the total adult population in the world has diabetes and that 45 percent of those people are not even aware of it.

According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas, the prevalence of diabetes in Turkey reached 14.5 percent in 2013. 

Speaking at the forum, the president of the International Diabetes Federation, Sir Michael Hirst, argued that the two key priorities of leaders must be to improve prevention by focusing on healthier lifestyles and to target earlier diagnosis.

According to the latest data from the Turkey’s social security institution (SGK), the total number of people with diabetes in Turkey has increased by an average of 17 percent per year and reached 5.2 million in 2012 compared to 2.5 million in 2008. This means that 6.9 percent of adults in Turkey had diabetes in 2012, up from 3.5 percent in 2008. The increasing number of people with diabetes and the consequent complications due to late diagnosis places a heavy burden on both the social security system and the overall economy of the country. The total cost related to diabetes for the SGK in 2012 was 10 billion Turkish Liras. 

More than half of the people diagnosed with diabetes are between the ages of 40 and 59.